~Wood was used for most houses, palaces, and buildings through the Roman empire. Marble started being used instead because the Romans were using wood so much that they had to use marble instead to conserve the wood they had.
~Most Roman buildings were heated using wood. For example, a public bath had to be kept at a 130 degree Fahrenheit minimum, which was accomplished using wood that was burned. A small public bath would on average use 228,000 lbs of wood per year. A large palace would require at least 2,506,000 lbs of wood per year to properly heat it.
~Wood was used to keep a fire going to make bricks for aqueducts, smelting silver and iron from their ores, to make concrete by heating the lime kiln, and heating the glass to make glass windows.
~Marshes were being made because of the soil that eroded from where a tree was cut down and water were stuck in lower elevated land. This caused an outbreak of malaria that was made by the mosquitoes living in the marsh.
~Many forests would be destroyed in war. Tribes from Gaul and Britain would simply retreat into the forest to escape. Julius Caesar solved this problem by burning down the whole forest.
~With the trees being cut down, the soil would become loose. The rich soil used for crops would be washed away, creating another problem that was starvation.
~Wood using industries would have to move every couple years because the forests were being burned or cut down. Since wood product were important to silver mining and the wood supplies were running low, Rome had to start importing silver from different places like China and Persia and eventually had to cut lots of silver from their coins.
~Forests were having to be taken down and were replaced with farmland to feed the vast population of Rome. Cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs would graze of the land that was deforested and would make it very hard to regrow the trees. Lots of the land on the Italian Peninsula was made up of forests.
Deforestation Problem in the Present World
~About 95% of the United States’ forests were cut down in the past 200 years, even though it is home to some forests and trees that are 1000 year old or older.
~The water cycle is affected by deforestation also. Trees will not evaporate ground water which would make the climate around that area very dry.
~America has spent 5 billion dollars in the past ten years for destroying the National Forests. The money used for this is all from taxpayers.
~When a forest is cleared, it reduces the biodiversity of the animals that had lived in the forest by making them vulnerable to hunting and it makes the animals without a
habitat.
~Every year, 12 to 15 hectares are burned or logged down each year. This means that about 36 football field size areas filled with trees are deforested every minute.
Solutions to the Present Deforestation Problem
~When a corporation has the ability to destruct the world's forests and jungles, they can also save them with a zero- deforestation policy. This means that a company would give up using wood and replace it with materials like palm oil, soy, and paper fibers.
~Even one person has the power to stop deforestation. That person can put pressure on a company for their environmental harm by only consuming from companies with a zero- deforestation policy and only buying wood certified products and recycled items.
Experts Contacted
Max Borders Email: info.fee.org Mr. Borders,
Hello, my name is Emily Lewis, and my partner Tiffany Russell and I are seventh grade students from Nagel Middle School in Cincinnati Ohio, who are doing a project on the topic of deforestation. We understand that you are an expert on this topic. We would like to ask you a few questions.
1. Since the trees of the rain forest are being cut down rapidly, what types of deforestation laws or regulations are in place or are being put in place to stop this process?
2. If America demands products that come from trees, are there any alternative materials that could take the place of the wood to create similar products?
3. Has anyone thought ahead to future of that if trees are no longer able to produce the products that are needed daily for people's lives, what kinds of precautions will need to take place in order for the trees not to become rare or disappear all together?
Thanks so much for your time,
Sincerely,
Emily Lewis and Tiffany Russell
Reply:
Dear Emily and Tiffany, Thanks for your contact. I don't know whether I qualify as an expert. The good people at PERC (perc.org) are more expert than I am. However, I have do some experience in studying these matters and can help answer your questions as best I can. Please see my answers below in < >.
=
Mr. Borders,
Hello, my name is Emily Lewis, and my partner Tiffany Russell and I are seventh grade students from Nagel Middle School in Cincinnati Ohio, who are doing a project on the topic of deforestation. We understand that you are an expert on this topic. We would like to ask you a few questions.
1. Since the trees of the rain forest are being cut down rapidly, what types of deforestation laws or regulations are in place or are being put in place to stop this process?
= <Very good question. It depends on which rainforest you're referring to, because different countries have different rules about forests. Some countries attempt to regulate forests by enforcing bans. Other countries use private property rights to protect forest resources. I like the latter approach because private property owners have fewer incentives to destroy or clear cut valuable forest resources and greater incentives to preserve and protect in order to make money, or to conserve the forest's beauty (as they case may be). Where property is un-owned or owned by 'everyone' you get a "Tragedy of the Commons" (Look this up!!! It's the most important thing you'll probably ever learn about environmental protection.) In such a tragedy, what happens is there is a race to take a resource before the next person does. With private property, there is no such race, because only the owner can use the property. Think of it like this: if you had a pizza party at your school, how would the pizza get eaten more quickly? If it's "everyone for herself/himself"? Or "each student gets two pieces of pizza to eat or save as she sees fit"? In one of those cases, the pizza will be gone in minutes! On the other hand, when governments attempt to enforce bans, you get "black markets" (another good one to look up). In black markets, people engage in risky behavior in order to break the law. They break the law because the profits are higher due to the ban! It sounds crazy, but that's often what happens. (This unfortunately happens with endangered species, too). It's not that making a profit is a bad thing at all. It's usually a sign that people are producing the things others want and need and not wasting resources. Profit isn't the problem in the case of black markets, it's rather the behavior that happens after the ban is set. This is a tough thing to grasp. But you know that when something is scarce and people want it anyway, the price goes up, right? Well, that's not going to change under a ban--it's going to get worse. The ban simple restricts the supply of what people want, making it more expensive and therefore more enticing for black marketers. So what do you do instead? (Hint: change the rule.)> =
2. If America demands products that come from trees, are there any alternative materials that could take the place of the wood to create similar products?
= <Much of this question depends on the price of wood. Remember, in North America (unlike much of South America) forestland is privately owned. That means people and companies decide what to do with their trees. Companies that sell wood products have a very strong incentive to plant more trees, especially because they want to keep their companies doing well next year and the next and 10 years from now! That's why there is more forestland today in the US than there has been in over 100 years! (And it keeps getting better.) If the forestry companies don't behave this way, either their competitors will grow more trees and beat them on price, or the price of wood will go up and people will start substitute products from other materials that are of equal quality but LOWER price. I hope you guys learn more about the 'price system' as you do your research, because it's one of the most important aspects of forestland stewardship and ensuring forest egrowth into the future.> =
3. Has anyone thought ahead to future of that if trees are no longer able to produce the products that are needed daily for people's lives, what kinds of precautions will need to take place in order for the trees not to become rare or disappear all together?
= <As I suggest above, more or less the only rule you need is for the preservation of trees is private property rights. For very special and beautiful forest areas it may also help to institute what are known as "conservation easements." These easements allow owners to preserve land for conservation into the future (even after they die). Otherwise, consider this picture on the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. On one side there are no private property rights and on the other side there are private property rights.
Inline image 1
Inline image 1
Which side do you think has private property and why?> <One more thing: In the movie The Lorax, what rule or "right" would have kept the Onceler from cutting down all the trees?> = = <You are most welcome, Emily and Tiffany.>
Deforestation Problem in Ancient Rome
~Wood was used for most houses, palaces, and buildings through the Roman empire. Marble started being used instead because the Romans were using wood so much that they had to use marble instead to conserve the wood they had.~Most Roman buildings were heated using wood. For example, a public bath had to be kept at a 130 degree Fahrenheit minimum, which was accomplished using wood that was burned. A small public bath would on average use 228,000 lbs of wood per year. A large palace would require at least 2,506,000 lbs of wood per year to properly heat it.
~Wood was used to keep a fire going to make bricks for aqueducts, smelting silver and iron from their ores, to make concrete by heating the lime kiln, and heating the glass to make glass windows.
~Marshes were being made because of the soil that eroded from where a tree was cut down and water were stuck in lower elevated land. This caused an outbreak of malaria that was made by the mosquitoes living in the marsh.
~Many forests would be destroyed in war. Tribes from Gaul and Britain would simply retreat into the forest to escape. Julius Caesar solved this problem by burning down the whole forest.
~With the trees being cut down, the soil would become loose. The rich soil used for crops would be washed away, creating another problem that was starvation.
~Wood using industries would have to move every couple years because the forests were being burned or cut down. Since wood product were important to silver mining and the wood supplies were running low, Rome had to start importing silver from different places like China and Persia and eventually had to cut lots of silver from their coins.
~Forests were having to be taken down and were replaced with farmland to feed the vast population of Rome. Cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs would graze of the land that was deforested and would make it very hard to regrow the trees. Lots of the land on the Italian Peninsula was made up of forests.
Deforestation Problem in the Present World
~About 95% of the United States’ forests were cut down in the past 200 years, even though it is home to some forests and trees that are 1000 year old or older.
~The water cycle is affected by deforestation also. Trees will not evaporate ground water which would make the climate around that area very dry.
~America has spent 5 billion dollars in the past ten years for destroying the National Forests. The money used for this is all from taxpayers.
~When a forest is cleared, it reduces the biodiversity of the animals that had lived in the forest by making them vulnerable to hunting and it makes the animals without a
habitat.
~Every year, 12 to 15 hectares are burned or logged down each year. This means that about 36 football field size areas filled with trees are deforested every minute.
Solutions to the Present Deforestation Problem
~When a corporation has the ability to destruct the world's forests and jungles, they can also save them with a zero- deforestation policy. This means that a company would give up using wood and replace it with materials like palm oil, soy, and paper fibers.
~Even one person has the power to stop deforestation. That person can put pressure on a company for their environmental harm by only consuming from companies with a zero- deforestation policy and only buying wood certified products and recycled items.
Experts Contacted
Max BordersEmail: info.fee.org
Mr. Borders,
Hello, my name is Emily Lewis, and my partner Tiffany Russell and I are seventh grade students from Nagel Middle School in Cincinnati Ohio, who are doing a project on the topic of deforestation. We understand that you are an expert on this topic. We would like to ask you a few questions.
1. Since the trees of the rain forest are being cut down rapidly, what types of deforestation laws or regulations are in place or are being put in place to stop this process?
2. If America demands products that come from trees, are there any alternative materials that could take the place of the wood to create similar products?
3. Has anyone thought ahead to future of that if trees are no longer able to produce the products that are needed daily for people's lives, what kinds of precautions will need to take place in order for the trees not to become rare or disappear all together?
Thanks so much for your time,
Sincerely,
Emily Lewis and Tiffany Russell
Reply:
Dear Emily and Tiffany,Thanks for your contact. I don't know whether I qualify as an expert. The good people at PERC (perc.org) are more expert than I am. However, I have do some experience in studying these matters and can help answer your questions as best I can.
Please see my answers below in < >.
=
Hello, my name is Emily Lewis, and my partner Tiffany Russell and I are seventh grade students from Nagel Middle School in Cincinnati Ohio, who are doing a project on the topic of deforestation. We understand that you are an expert on this topic. We would like to ask you a few questions.
1. Since the trees of the rain forest are being cut down rapidly, what types of deforestation laws or regulations are in place or are being put in place to stop this process?
=
<Very good question. It depends on which rainforest you're referring to, because different countries have different rules about forests. Some countries attempt to regulate forests by enforcing bans. Other countries use private property rights to protect forest resources. I like the latter approach because private property owners have fewer incentives to destroy or clear cut valuable forest resources and greater incentives to preserve and protect in order to make money, or to conserve the forest's beauty (as they case may be).
Where property is un-owned or owned by 'everyone' you get a "Tragedy of the Commons" (Look this up!!! It's the most important thing you'll probably ever learn about environmental protection.) In such a tragedy, what happens is there is a race to take a resource before the next person does. With private property, there is no such race, because only the owner can use the property. Think of it like this: if you had a pizza party at your school, how would the pizza get eaten more quickly? If it's "everyone for herself/himself"? Or "each student gets two pieces of pizza to eat or save as she sees fit"? In one of those cases, the pizza will be gone in minutes!
On the other hand, when governments attempt to enforce bans, you get "black markets" (another good one to look up). In black markets, people engage in risky behavior in order to break the law. They break the law because the profits are higher due to the ban! It sounds crazy, but that's often what happens. (This unfortunately happens with endangered species, too).
It's not that making a profit is a bad thing at all. It's usually a sign that people are producing the things others want and need and not wasting resources. Profit isn't the problem in the case of black markets, it's rather the behavior that happens after the ban is set. This is a tough thing to grasp. But you know that when something is scarce and people want it anyway, the price goes up, right? Well, that's not going to change under a ban--it's going to get worse. The ban simple restricts the supply of what people want, making it more expensive and therefore more enticing for black marketers. So what do you do instead? (Hint: change the rule.)>
=
=
<Much of this question depends on the price of wood. Remember, in North America (unlike much of South America) forestland is privately owned. That means people and companies decide what to do with their trees. Companies that sell wood products have a very strong incentive to plant more trees, especially because they want to keep their companies doing well next year and the next and 10 years from now! That's why there is more forestland today in the US than there has been in over 100 years! (And it keeps getting better.) If the forestry companies don't behave this way, either their competitors will grow more trees and beat them on price, or the price of wood will go up and people will start substitute products from other materials that are of equal quality but LOWER price.
I hope you guys learn more about the 'price system' as you do your research, because it's one of the most important aspects of forestland stewardship and ensuring forest egrowth into the future.>
=
=
<As I suggest above, more or less the only rule you need is for the preservation of trees is private property rights. For very special and beautiful forest areas it may also help to institute what are known as "conservation easements." These easements allow owners to preserve land for conservation into the future (even after they die).
Otherwise, consider this picture on the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. On one side there are no private property rights and on the other side there are private property rights.
Which side do you think has private property and why?>
<One more thing: In the movie The Lorax, what rule or "right" would have kept the Onceler from cutting down all the trees?>
=
=
<You are most welcome, Emily and Tiffany.>
Final Presentation
Deforestation PreziCites
"The Role of Deforestation in the Fall of Rome." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2013. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/dna/ptop/plain/A2184473>.
"Crisis in America's Forests." Crisis in America's Forests. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2013. <http://www.saveamericasforests.org/crisis.htm>.
"Deforestation." WWF. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2013. <http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_forests/deforestation/>.
"Solutions to Deforestation." Greenpeace. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2013. <http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/forests/solutions-to-deforestation/>.